Principles of Principals

  6th grade, remember your experience? Do you remember your teachers, or just one in particular? I do. I have an uncanny memory for all of my teachers, first and last names, the when, the where, and most of all, how they made me feel. My sixth grade year at Basalt Middle School wasn't out of the ordinary for the first half. I was learning to wrestle, figuring out some of the dynamics of family and school life, learning who my friends were...and weren't. Mrs. Palmer was my teacher. She remains a fixture in my life. In fact, she attended our thirty year high school reunion. As is the case with every teacher, she had her sayings and things she would do that are memorable. Shutting the lights off if class got too rowdy meant we would all retreat to our desks, heads down, and wait for her gentle voice to guide us back to reality.  Firmly calling out, "Cool your jets!"  The non-negotiable of all rules, we were never allowed to utter the words , " Shut up ". Ever. ...

  They do. If you dispute this, stop reading. Move along. When I coached, my focus was in three areas; Fitness of the body - overall physical conditioning preparatory to successful wrestling. Fitness of the mind - overall mental conditioning preparatory to successful strategy. Fitness of the character - well-rounded humans who oozed humility off the mat. My wrestlers were very familiar with physical, emotional and mental struggle so some of this came with relative ease to them. Building habits of fitness was a challenge. All of it we measured by our behaviors. For example, we conducted weekly grade/eligibility checks, we counted our mat time and pushups, we stayed out of the principal's office and out of detentions. Fundamental to creating habits of fitness was dealing addressing my mindset. First.  First, I made a conscious choice to see them as humans with goals, hopes, and dreams. Humans who were completely capable of excellence. Capable of achieving their highest potential...

  I grew up in the Rocky Mountains, and now reside there as a middle-aged man. God's country. My family has lived here for six generations, founded to towns, owned gold and silver claims, timber, farmed and ranched here. My father was killed and is buried here.  All around me are these beautiful and majestic trees. For a time, my business was trees. Well, commercial landscaping. Purchasing, planting, cultivating, trimming, and growing trees. I can look at a tree and tell you if it is healthy, I can tell how it's been cared for, and when/where it should be trimmed. Over the course of my life I've learned a few things about these beautiful creations. Aspen trees are known for their breathtaking Fall colors. But did you know that they are the world's largest living organism? Their root systems are connected and when one member of a grove is sick, the others support it with nutrients.  Because Aspens are a united grove, they aren't as susceptible to disease and insects ...